I listen to a lot of launch debriefs because I’m a relentless learner.
The tactics are always interesting: launch a Facebook group, run a challenge, switch from a recorded webinar to a live webinar, or tweak your sales calls. But I always wonder what really made the launch successful.
One answer is sheer numbers. At a 2-3% conversion rate, selling 15 spots is much easier with 750 subscribers than with 375. And it’s a heck of a lot easier with 10,000.
But what I suspect truly works is trust.
Not just trust in your offer, but trust built over time through genuine engagement, dialogue, and relationships.
Four Conventional Beliefs vs. My Reality
For context, my group program is six months long, priced at $1,800, and has now launched six times over two years. These observations may shift for lower-priced, shorter, or brand-new offers, but here’s what I’ve seen.
Belief 1: People enroll once they hear about you during your launch.
My reality: Most of my new cohort members have been on my list for at least 90 days, with half in my world for over six months before enrolling.
Trust isn’t built overnight. It grows through ongoing, meaningful engagement.
Belief 2: Social media sells programs.
My reality: Social media helped amplify my presence, but only one new member came directly from social during my last launch. And it wasn't the algorithm that amplified my message, it was past participants and community members commenting on my LinkedIn posts. (Of course, I'm not active on any platforms but LinkedIn anymore).
What actually drove enrollments? Personal outreach, direct follow-ups, and individual sales calls.
Belief 3: Ads and cold audiences will fill your program.
My reality: Almost everyone who joined within 90 days of knowing me came through a referral or a shared community space. They didn’t come from an ad, a viral post, or a funnel.
Trust transfers faster through personal introductions than any short-form content.
If you’ve ever sent me a referral, thank you. I’ll be expressing my gratitude even more this year.
Belief 4: You have to keep growing your audience between launches.
My reality: This one holds true.
Every six months, I’ve grown my audience by about 300 people through podcast guesting, guest teaching, Kit recommendations, and word of mouth.
And every launch, I saw about 10 new enrollments, which is about 3% of my growth per 6 months.
Your first launch is often filled with people who have been following you for a long time. But to keep making sales with the same program, you need consistent visibility and trust-building between launches.
What could this mean for you?
I don’t consider myself a “great” launcher. I don’t send a flood of emails, run affiliate promos, or strategically borrow audiences during my launches. Instead, I rely on word of mouth, past client experiences, and steady visibility throughout the year.
Last year, I guested on 21 podcasts, guest taught in 12 places, and ran 12 free Deeper Business Dialogues, to show the level of effort I dedicated to deep exposure with new people.
That means my launches fill with people who have already worked with me, heard me teach, or were personally referred.
And in a weird economic moment like this one, that’s what’s working.
If you’re selling a higher-priced program (anything over a one-time buy of <$250) in 2025, here’s what I’d focus on:
- Don’t wait until launch time to build trust. Create deeper connections year-round.
- Treat your network like gold. Referrals and word-of-mouth are the most powerful ways to quickly transfer trust.
- How you build awareness in the three to six months before your launch matters more than launch week itself.
- Personal conversations matter more than scalable communications. One thoughtful email or conversation can be worth 10,000 impressions.
If you’ve launched this year, does this resonate with you? And if you’re preparing for a launch, what’s your biggest takeaway? I’d love to hear.